Chicago is doing something new to its taxis. The city has closed on two smartphone apps that will give riders the similar kind of access to taxis which they enjoy with services like Uber and Lyft.

On Wednesday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that Arro and Verifone have been selected in a competitive bidding process for providing a universal taxi app to the entire cab service network in the city. The mayor said that the apps will start working from February1. All 12,700 cabbies in the city will then need to one or the other app in their taxis.

In a statement, Emanuel said "Chicago is a city that innovates, and in this spirit I am proud to announce that Chicago will become the first city with a universal taxi app. With the new service, Chicago residents can expect to see improved rider experience and better access to taxis all across the city."

David Kreisman, the spokesman for the Cab Drivers United union, said that the tool was required badly by cab drivers as their incomes were devastated by the double standard of the city's regulations for taxis and other companies like Uber.